Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Remaja Hina Islam Dibogel, ‘Spender’ Dilarikan Toyota Alphard
- Educating Vivian Lee and and Alvin Tan Jye Yee
- MCMC: Re-posting Offensive Material An Offence Too
- Politicians protecting illegal Indonesian school, district officer tells RCI
- Pos Malaysia failed to deliver some postal votes during GE13, says EC
- Stop the race game in education
- Another RM1bil project through closed tender
- The foundation of Christianity and Islam
- Cronyism in Penang appointments?
- 11 Malaysian companies to export bird’s nest to China again
- PAS claims Tengku Zaihan's family met party to voice support
- RM1b Iskandar rail job awarded to inexperienced steel firm, says Pua
- Penang wants Health Ministry to investigate racist doctor claims
- Will the PM please speak up, asks Tony Pua
- Bersih and Putrajaya seek to settle case over April 28 rally, trial adjourned
- Politicians and Zealots Are the Main Culprits For Malaysian Education Decay
- Cautious Business Optimism Reigns In Malaysia For Q3, Says D&B Malaysia
- September Date For Sabah Terrorism Offences Trial
- Parlimen: Tidak Boleh Keluar KWSP Untuk Bayar Hutang Kad Kredit - Ahmad Maslan
- Sex bloggers turn up late at MCMC investigation
- Good riddance to EO
- An uphill battle
- Sabah RCI: Illegal immigrants had guns and ammo, says former Sabah CM
- Pakatan sues EC leaders over indelible ink to nullify GE result
- EC cleaning up electoral rolls, says it will issue regular reports
- In the Malay Press: PAS controls Kuala Besut candidate's statements
| Remaja Hina Islam Dibogel, ‘Spender’ Dilarikan Toyota Alphard Posted: 15 Jul 2013 12:44 PM PDT
(TerengganuToday) - Mangsa juga mengaku telah mencampakkan bangkai babi di hadapan rumah dan surau orang Islam yang menjadi sasaran parti DAP untuk cetuskan ketegangan kaum dan agama. Penjaga cybercafe, Ng Mun Tatt, 24, diculik di hadapan sebuah restoran di Taman Sri Muda, Shah Alam, oleh lapan lelaki dipercayai berbangsa Melayu dengan menaiki sebuah kereta jenis Toyota Alphard. Sumber yang diterima TerengganuToday memberitahu, semasa kejadian, remaja berbangsa Cina itu sedang makan bersama teman wanitanya sekitar pukul tiga pagi. Bagaimanapun, teman wanita mangsa tidak dilarikan dan diapa-apakan. Barang berharga milik lelaki itu seperti beg duit, telefon bimbit dan rantai emas dikembalikan kepada teman wanita mangsa semasa mangsa dilarikan. Kereta yang menggunakan nombor pendaftaran palsu itu melarikan mangsa ke kawasan hutan sebelum ditinggalkan di Lebuhraya Duke, berhampiran susur masuk ke Setiawangsa, dalam keadaan bogel. Seluar, baju dan pakaian dalam dilarikan Toyota Alphard terbabit. Mangsa mendakwa, badannya diconteng oleh suspek kerana perbuatan remaja Cina itu yang mengaku "MENGHINA ORANG MELAYU DAN ISLAM DI LAMAN SOSIAL SEPERTI FACEBOOK DAN TWITTER" Mangsa juga mengaku telah mencampakkan bangkai babi di hadapan rumah dan surau orang Islam yang menjadi sasaran parti DAP untuk cetuskan ketegangan kaum dan agama. Menurut sumber itu lagi, sehingga kini hanya satu laporan polis dibuat oleh orang awam yang menemui mangsa.
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| Educating Vivian Lee and and Alvin Tan Jye Yee Posted: 15 Jul 2013 12:22 PM PDT
The writer believes that they are many other means to be 'cool'. The tool deployed by Alvin and Vivian to look 'cool' reflects their sheer stupidity. Using the same strategy by Kim Kardashian for cheap publicity makes them look like the biggest joke in town. Visnu Natesan The recent fiasco by Vivian Lee and Alvin Tan with sex-blogging, so called sex education videos on Alvin's Facebook page and video of eating 'bah ku teh' insulting the holy Ramadhan month has caused controversy and the subject heavily debated on social media. The writer notes that the action of Vivian and Alvin is a great insult to Asian culture and history. Sex blogging The choice for publishing sexual activities is an individual's choice. The issues surrounding the publishing of the videos reflects the intellect displayed by Alvin and Vivian which clearly demonstrates their ignorance and narrow mindedness. The Asian society has explored in depth on sex and published classic literature educating the Asian on the subject of sex. The Eastern culture is blessed with classic sex literature that has been available for a thousand years. In Taoist doctrine, the men and women are divided into yin and yang. The doctrine provides information on sex topics and provides guidance for male and female on sex. In Kama Sutra, the text provides information on sexual behaviour, sex techniques etc. The Asian does not need your sex insights, views, opinions, photos and your two cents' worth knowledge on sex. The Western community might look at you as a liberated couple but in reality the Westerners learned from Asians about sex. All the classic literature on sex has been translated into the Western world and the origin of sex knowledge is from the Eastern world. Facebook post 'Nudity is to be practiced at all time' and 'No uptight Christians allowed' Relating to your FB comments, there is no such thing as uptight Christians only imbecile beings known as Vivian Lee and Alvin Tee with limited understanding on the topic of nudity and religion. Based on history, the early Christians viewed nudity as an acceptable practice in the context of working outdoors. For example Gospel of John 21:7 describes Simon Peter is naked while fishing from a boat, but then gets dressed in order to meet Christ. Your comments certainly reflect your lack of understanding on nudity and naturists. Most religions have explored the topic of nudity and various literature has been written in understanding the practice. The sadhus in India practices nudity in the context of religion for extreme ascetism. The early Gymnosophists (naked philosophers) from India intrigues Alexander the Great and the term gymnosophist was given by the Greek. The nudist culture in Western world was influenced by the gymnosophist and were appreciated in the context of purity and virtue. And among the Indians there is the class of the gymnosophists, who, in addition to natural philosophy, take great pains in the study of moral science likewise, and thus make their whole existence a sort of lesson in virtue. —Philo Judaeus, Every Good Man is Free, 74 Your attempt to liberate the Asian community on nudity is a way of life traveled from India to Europe. Save your borrowed ideology on Western culture and save your energy on liberating the Asian community. We do not need your two cents' worth of knowledge on nudity. Spare your effort by educating yourselves on the concept of nudity from the religious perspective before condemning Asians as narrow minded. 'Bah Kuh Teh' video There are better ways to get attention from the public. Andy Warhol quoted ' "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes." You had your fifteen minutes of fame, you should not mock any religions. Save your erotic adventures, stories, practices etc. for the Western media. The Asian community, blessed with intellect and morals, will treat you as a laughing stock. The Asian community has tolerated your imbecilic behavior but do not mock the matured society and their faith. The 'bah kuh teh' video is a reflection of your stupidity and immaturity. At times, the writer wonders the thought processes of Alvin and Vivian. There are many means to become famous but the 'bah kuh teh' video would go down in history as the dumbest idea ever. It is a dark day for Malaysians because the education system has certainly failed in the context of Alvin and Vivian. With their fifteen minutes of fame, the Malaysian authorities should investigate and charge Alvin and Vivian in court for their derogatory remarks. In a multiracial and multi-religious society, the behavior of Alvin and Vivian should not be tolerated. What next? The behavior of Alvin and Vivian is a reflection of our education system. The duo are brilliant students but lack critical thinking skills. Their behavior is influenced by Western culture and despite the availability of knowledge on taboo subjects such as nudity, religion,sex, etc., the duo failed to grasp the Eastern teachings and apply it in their life. The Malaysian people should not forgive Alvin and Vivian for their behavior. We should educate them to be better human beings. On that note, the duo should be sent to do voluntary services in churches, mosques, AIDS center, charity homes helping sex workers, orphan homes and old folk homes. The duo should be enrolled in religious classes to educate them on religions. The punishment should humble their arrogance and be set as an example for other Malaysian. Last but not least, the writer believes that they are many other means to be 'cool'. The tool deployed by Alvin and Vivian to look 'cool' reflects their sheer stupidity. Using the same strategy by Kim Kardashian for cheap publicity makes them look like the biggest joke in town. A person is stupid if they cause damage to another person or group of people without experiencing personal gain, or even worse causing damage to themselves in the process. ― Carlo M. Cipolla (economic historian) The above quote reflects the stupidity of Alvin and Vivian. Enough said. Visnu Natesan |
| MCMC: Re-posting Offensive Material An Offence Too Posted: 15 Jul 2013 12:13 PM PDT
(Malaysian Digest) - Those who re-post offensive material online, though they may not be the original authors, may be also committing an offence, according to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). MCMC Strategic Communications Director Sheikh Raffie Abd Rahman advised all Malaysians to stop forwarding or sharing something offensive, even though they were at the same time disagreeing with its contents.
Police reports have also been lodged over the issue though the police have not announced if they were going to take any action. |
| Politicians protecting illegal Indonesian school, district officer tells RCI Posted: 15 Jul 2013 12:08 PM PDT
(TMI) - Political interference and patronage from certain parties led to the establishment of an illegal Indonesian school and the rise of squatter colonies in Papar, said its district officer Iman Ali. Iman told the Royal Commission of Inquiry into illegal immigrants in Sabah that the illegal school followed the Indonesian education syllabus and its students wore the uniform colours of that country, red and white. "Every Monday, the students would sing the Indonesian national anthem. But the district office never received any application for the opening and running of the school." Iman said the issue was discussed during a meeting with officers from other departments including the Education Department. A written report was also submitted by the Education officer on the issue of the Indonesian school. He said the district office had attempted to shut the school down as it was not permitted to operate but political interference put paid to that move. Iman said he had received phone calls from certain political parties who instructed him to back down. "The Indonesian illegal immigrants squat on land and then practice very unhealthy sanitation habits, including indiscriminate dumping of faeces. This was discovered by workers when they went to the area to cut grass," Iman said. "But when we wanted to carry out eviction action against these squatters, we would receive phone calls from certain political parties. We were instructed not to go ahead with the eviction. |
| Pos Malaysia failed to deliver some postal votes during GE13, says EC Posted: 14 Jul 2013 06:31 PM PDT
(The Star) - Pos Malaysia did not deliver some GE13 postal votes to respective returning officers in time, resulting in those not being counted, said Election Commission (EC) deputy chairman Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar. "We have received feedback that certain levels of Pos Malaysia (staff) did not give priority to postal votes. "Some ballot papers did not reach the office of the returning officers in time for counting," he said. Wan Ahmad said the EC would consider using a different postal delivery service if Pos Malaysia could not deliver postal ballot papers effectively. "We are going to meet Pos Malaysia to get their explanation because we paid them for the service," he said.
Read more here: http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2013/07/15/EC-postal-votes-didnt-reach.aspx |
| Stop the race game in education Posted: 14 Jul 2013 06:23 PM PDT
(FMT) - It's time for the Education Ministry and all political parties to focus on meritocracy, instead of race, in providing equal opportunities for all qualified Malaysian students for places in public universities. Calling on the ministry to do away with its racial focus, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said there was no reason to deny equal opportunities to Malaysian students with top results, including with a CGPA 4.0, local university places in courses they had sought. He slammed the ministry for harping on short-sighted policies that would cause not only Malaysia to lose out, but also mental anguish annually to the young talents, who were deprived of their future. He said the ministry must assume full responsibility for not being fair to ensure qualified students were allotted places. Claiming public loss of confidence in professionalism of the ministry, he called on the government to appoint an independent body such as an international auditing firm to ensure that no qualified students loses out. "How can we prepare the young for the future or the future for our young when we permit such painful injustice? "After 56 years of independence, it is time for all political parties and the ministry not to focus on race but on why qualified students cannot get places in public universities on merit," stressed Lim, the Bagan MP, in his statement here today. Depriving qualified students from places in public universities, he said, was a waste of top talent that would drive away the country's best and brightest brain to abroad. He noted that it would exacerbate the brain drain and make it harder for Talent Corporation to generate a brain gain. "It will make it easier for other countries like Singapore to happily snatch away our crème de la crème," cautioned the DAP leader. He chided MCA and MIC with their annual national obsession on race profiling by arguing the serious issue of deprivation of university places in education solely from a racial perspective when it should be based on equal opportunity, excellence and performance. He accused both political parties of perpetuating the racial game annually to create a dependency syndrome to make both MCA and MIC relevant. "Instead both should have institutionalised clear criteria for entry that was transparent," stressed Lim.
Read more here: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/07/15/stop-the-race-game-in-education/#sthash.tmAKT0JT.dpuf |
| Another RM1bil project through closed tender Posted: 14 Jul 2013 06:15 PM PDT
(FMT) - The company awarded the RM1bil project for a new railway system in Iskandar Malaysia, Johor, through closed tender is linked to Umno, said Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua. Pua said the company, which has insufficient funds, was also given a RM700mil soft loan from the government. He said despite Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's promise of transparency, his administration continued to award multi-billion ringgit government projects to undeserving Umno-linked firms. The company awarded the project is Metropolitan Commuter Network (MCN), a subsidiary of Malaysian Steel Works Bhd (Masteel). KUB Bhd, a company which Umno has interests in, controls 40% of MCN's shares and the rest is owned by Masteel. "We would like to question how the government chose Masteel for this railway project through direct negotiations. "Why didn't the government conduct an open tender for a project like this?" asked Pua, who is also DAP's national publicity secretary. Pua said the government had given Masteel the nod for the project during a meeting with the firm, chaired by Finance Minister II Ahmad Husni Hussain. "Why the need to privatise the project if the government has to pay 70% of the construction cost through loans?" asked Pua. Masteel CEO Tai Hean Leng had told The Edge Malaysia on June 17 that MCN would invest RM300mil in the project, on top of the RM700mil government soft loan. "The company will be given a concession to operate the commuter system for 37 years, even though MCN will break even after 12 years," said Pua.
Read more here: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/07/15/another-rm1bil-project-through-closed-tender/#sthash.z0ZJd80A.dpuf
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| The foundation of Christianity and Islam Posted: 14 Jul 2013 06:09 PM PDT
Basically, religion is all about faith and you need faith to believe that Jesus died and came back to life three days later and that Muhammad flew 1,200 kilometres to Jerusalem and then up to heaven to meet God in just one night. And people who have faith and believe in this do not like those who do not to dispute what they believe and to suggest that what they believe may not be right. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin
One reader by the name of 'Zionist Conspiracy' took offense to my statement: "Now, I want to digress a bit and talk about the third holiest shrine in Islam (after the mosques in Mekah and Medina), which is also being claimed by the Jews and Christians." Basically, this reader disputes my notion that the Dome of the Rock is the third holiest shrine in Islam and says that that honour should be given to the Al-Aqsa Mosque next door to it. The reader goes on to say: "It is the Jewish propaganda to portray the Dome of the Rock to misguide all, especially the Muslims, into believing it to be the Masjid Al Aqsa to divert their attention from it as that is the real Holy place that is being claimed by all the three religious groups." The reader also says: "The simple truth is that the Jews and Christians, despite knowing fully well what their respective Scriptures have mentioned, refuse to accept Prophet Mohammed (SAW) as a prophet and Islam as the religion of Allah. This has been ascertained by Allah in the Quran." Maybe I should have used the word 'site' instead of 'shrine'. Actually site would have been more accurate since on each site there are both shrines and mosques. In Mekah, you have both the Ka'aba and the Grand Mosque. In Medina, you have the Prophet's tomb and the Prophet's Mosque. And in Jerusalem, 'the Farthest Mosque' and the Dome of the Rock. The main bone of contention of this reader is that I suggested all these structures were built after the death of the Prophet Muhammad. I suppose the issue of when the mosque in Jerusalem was built is crucial to Muslim belief, just like the story of the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus. The Muslims dispute the story of the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus. The Muslims say it never happened and that someone else who looked like Jesus was crucified instead. Hence, since there was no Crucifixion, then there was no Resurrection as well. The story of the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of Christianity. If it did not happen then there is no Christianity. If the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus is a lie then Christianity itself is a lie. Hence to dispute the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus is to dispute the existence of Christianity. And Islam disputes the story of the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus. In that same spirit, Prophet Muhammad's Night Journey is crucial to Islam. That story, too, is crucial to the existence of Islam. If that story is disputed then it opens Islam itself to question. It is very important, therefore, that the Muslims defend the story of Prophet Muhammad's Night Journey. But then, if the Jerusalem mosque did not exist yet at the time of the Prophet, and if it was built by Umar after the death of the Prophet, then how credible would the story of the Night Journey be when Muhammad was supposed to have travelled to Jerusalem, up to heaven to meet God, and home again, all in the same night? And it was at this time that Muhammad received the command for Muslims to pray five times a day. Hence, for the Christians, they have the story of the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus. And, for the Muslims, they have the story of the Prophet's Night Journey from the Jerusalem mosque up to heaven. Without these two stories Christianity and Islam would not exist. Hence, also, it is understandable that the Christians will get angry when you dispute the story of the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus just as the Muslims will get angry if you suggest that the mosque in Jerusalem did not exist yet at the time of the Prophet. And if you dispute any or both these stories they will say it is a Jewish conspiracy because if the Bible and/or the Qur'an says that something had happened then it did happen, even if the archaeologists and historians say otherwise. Basically, religion is all about faith and you need faith to believe that Jesus died and came back to life three days later and that Muhammad flew 1,200 kilometres to Jerusalem and then up to heaven to meet God in just one night. And people who have faith and believe in this do not like those who do not to dispute what they believe and to suggest that what they believe may not be right. ********************************************* Al-Masjid Al-Haram Al-Masjid Al-Haram or the Grand Mosque is located in the city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is the largest mosque in the world and surrounds one of Islam's holiest places, the Ka'aba. According to Islamic tradition the very first construction of the Ka'aba, the heart of Al-Masjid Al-Haram, was undertaken by Abraham. The first major renovation to the mosque took place in 692. By the end of the 8th century, the Mosque's old wooden columns had been replaced with marble columns and the wings of the prayer hall had been extended on both sides along with the addition of a minaret. In 1570, Sultan Selim II commissioned the chief architect Mimar Sinan to renovate the mosque. This renovation resulted in the replacement of the flat roof with domes decorated with calligraphy internally and the placement of new support columns which are acknowledged as the earliest architectural features of the present mosque. After heavy rain and flood in 1621 and more in 1629, the walls of the Kaaba fell down and the Masjid suffered damage. In 1629, during the reign of Murad IV, the Kaaba was rebuilt with stones from Mecca and the mosque was renovated. The first major renovation under the Saudi kings was done between 1955 and 1973. In this renovation, four more minarets were added and the ceiling was refurnished and the floor was replaced with artificial stone and marble. The second renovation was from 1982-1988, the third from 1988–2005, and the latest in 2007 and expected to be completed in 2020. ********************************************* Al-Masjid an-Nabawi Al-Masjid al-Nabawi, often called the Prophet's Mosque, is the second holiest site in Islam after Masjid al-Haram in Mecca. It was the second mosque built in history and is now one of the largest mosques in the world. After an expansion during the reign of al-Walid I, it also now incorporates the site of the final resting place of Muhammad and early Muslim leaders Abu Bakr and Umar. The site was originally adjacent to Muhammad's house. ********************************************* Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa ("the Farthest Mosque") also known as Al-Aqsa and Bayt al-Muqaddas, is the third holiest site in Islam and is located in the Old City of Jerusalem. The site on which the silver domed mosque sits, along with the Dome of the Rock, also referred to as al-Haram ash-Sharif or "Noble Sanctuary", is the Temple Mount, the holiest site in Judaism, the place where the Temple is generally accepted to have stood. Muslims believe that Muhammad was transported from the Sacred Mosque in Mecca to al-Aqsa during the Night Journey. Islamic tradition holds that Muhammad led prayers towards this site until the seventeenth month after the emigration, when God directed him to turn towards the Ka'aba. The mosque was originally a small prayer house built by the Rashidun caliph Umar, but was rebuilt and expanded by the Umayyad caliph Abd al-Malik and finished by his son al-Walid in 705 CE. After an earthquake in 746, the mosque was completely destroyed and rebuilt by the Abbasid caliph al-Mansur in 754, and again rebuilt by his successor al-Mahdi in 780. Another earthquake destroyed most of al-Aqsa in 1033, but two years later the Fatimid caliph Ali az-Zahir built another mosque which has stood to the present-day. During the periodic renovations undertaken, the various ruling dynasties of the Islamic Caliphate constructed additions to the mosque and its precincts, such as its dome, facade, its minbar, minarets and the interior structure. When the Crusaders captured Jerusalem in 1099, they used the mosque as a palace and church, but its function as a mosque was restored after its recapture by Saladin in 1187. More renovations, repairs and additions were undertaken in the later centuries by the Ayyubids, Mamluks, Ottomans, the Supreme Muslim Council, and Jordan. Today, the Old City is under Israeli control, but the mosque remains under the administration of the Palestinian-led Islamic waqf. ********************************************* Dome of the Rock The Dome of the Rock is a shrine located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem. The structure has been refurbished many times since its initial completion in 691 CE at the order of Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik. The site's significance stems from religious traditions regarding the rock, known as the Foundation Stone, at its heart. The Dome of the Rock is in the centre of a greater Muslim shrine, known as the Haram ash Sharif (Noble Sanctuary), which Muslims believe commemorates Muhammad's miraculous Night Journey into heaven. Later commentary by Muhammad, known as the hadith, have him name Jerusalem as the site of the Night Journey.
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| Cronyism in Penang appointments? Posted: 14 Jul 2013 04:43 PM PDT
(FMT) - "What has she contributed to the party or state before she was made a councillor?" The Penang Malay Congress (PMC) has questioned the state government's rationale in appointing "novices" as councillors and maintaining the detrimental "race quota' system mooted by Barisan Nasional.Alluding to last week's appointment of councillors, PMC president Rahmad Isahak said the recent induction had generated a lot of suspicion among certain quarters that a degree of cronyism was applied during the selection process. This creates doubts about whether the state is upholding its pledges of competency, accountability and transparency (CAT), he added. For starters, Rahmad said he was informed that the newly inducted councillor from DAP, Nur Fitriah Abdul Halim, aged 26, had barely joined the party before she was made councillor. "The congress has nothing against Nur Fitriah. She may be capable in her own right, but what we are questioning is the due process of selection on the part of DAP. "What has she contributed to the party or state before she was made a councillor?" he asked. Rahmad added that if indeed it was true that Nur Fitriah has been a DAP member for less than a year, and is yet to serve the state in any other capacity, then the Penang government could be making a mockery out of the selection process of councillors. "This indirectly hampers Nur Fitriah as well, as she will need to learn her duties very fast and cope with the fresh demands from the ratepayers," he said. Secondly, Rahmad said in this age of competency, councillors should not be appointed just to fulfill the race quota. "If the state wants to continue on the same road like Barisan Nasional (BN) in appeasing the race quota, then they should appoint people based on their experience, qualifications and seniority. "We should not repeat BN's mistakes of appointing cronies," he said. Read more at : http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/07/15/cronyism-in-penang-appointments/ |
| 11 Malaysian companies to export bird’s nest to China again Posted: 14 Jul 2013 04:31 PM PDT
Najib speaking to reporters at the Parliament building after meeting the Chinese delegates from Quangxi. Also present Ong (L) and ECER CEO Datuk Jebasingam Issace John. (fz.com) - He also said the Chinese government has created a special hub to process and run lab tests on the bird's nests imported from Malaysia. Malaysia has received a "special approval" from Beijing to export bird's nest to China once again, after a two year hiatus.Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced to a press conference at Parliament today that due to former MCA president Tan Sri Ong Ka Ting's hard work, 11 companies have received the special approval. "I've been informed that the Chinese government have given a special approval to 11 Malaysian companies to begin exporting bird's nest to China once again, as long as they follow certain regulations. "This involves 5% of the sector and we are still negotiating for the other 95% who were involved in unclean bird's nest. We expect this issue to be resolved soon," Najib said after meeting Chinese delegates from Quangxi. Read more at : http://www.fz.com/content/11-malaysian-companies-export-bird%E2%80%99s-nest-china-again |
| PAS claims Tengku Zaihan's family met party to voice support Posted: 14 Jul 2013 04:26 PM PDT
Wan Azhar claims Tengku Zaihan's family wanted to voice their support for the PAS candidate Endot @ Azlan Yusof. (fz.com) Blood may not be thicker than water for Barisan Nasional candidate Tengku Zaihan Che Ku Abdul Rahman.This is after it was revealed that two groups of his extended family met with PAS last night, raising the possibility of significant silent votes for the Islamic party. Besut PAS chief Wan Azhar Wan Ahmad claimed he met the two groups separately in Kota Baru, Kelantan for half an hour where he told them of the party's plans should they wrest the constituency from the BN. Wan Azhar said Tengku Zaihan's family wanted to voice their support for the party's candidate Endot @ Azlan Yusof. "His family had arranged the meeting," Wan Azhar said at a press conference this morning. He, however, kept mum on the details of the meet, including the exact number of Tengku Zaihan's kin he had met, citing there were "many". Also present was the party's central working committee member Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad who described the meeting as "very encouraging" for PAS. The meeting, he said, showed that there was some upheaval in the family of the BN candidate. "There will be a snowballing effect," he said, adding that the meet was "clean game" in politics. Read more at : http://www.fz.com/content/pas-claims-tengku-zaihans-family-met-party-voice-support |
| RM1b Iskandar rail job awarded to inexperienced steel firm, says Pua Posted: 14 Jul 2013 04:23 PM PDT
(The Malay Mail) - Pua said the contract also includes a 37-year concession to MCN to operate the commuter system even though the company estimates to break even within 12 years. DAP MP Tony Pua today questioned Putrajaya's decision to award a steel manufacturer and an Umno-linked firm a RM1 billion contract to build the 100km intercity railway line between Iskandar Malaysia and Singapore. |
| Penang wants Health Ministry to investigate racist doctor claims Posted: 14 Jul 2013 04:18 PM PDT
(The Malay Mail) - The Bagan MP said the state had received complaints from doctors and also patients on the "racial game" being played using the doctors. Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng wants the Health Ministry to launch an investigation into the racist doctor allegations that surfaced during the recent sitting of the Penang state assembly.Lim (picture) wants the ministry to get to the bottom of the allegations and if there is any truth to it, to fire the three ethnic Chinese doctors who allegedly turned away Malay patients and also take away their medical licence for going against the Hippocrates Oath. "If those allegations are not true, I feel that it is only fair that Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam steps forward to clear the names of those doctors, not only the ethnic Chinese doctors, but all doctors," he said in an official letter to the minister dated today. Lim also wants an early response from the ministry on this issue as it has caused much concern among doctors that they are being dragged into such dangerous racial "games". On July 3, opposition (Barisan Nasional) state assemblyman Datuk Roslan Saidin had accused three ethnic Chinese doctors at two government hospitals of refusing to treat Malay patients following the "Chinese tsunami" of Chinese voters turning against BN in the May 5 polls. The state government had demanded that Roslan furnish proof of his accusations but he has so far failed to show any proof despite claiming that he had concrete proof of those doctors turning away Malay patients. Lim maintained that the state government, the government hospitals in Penang and the Penang Health Department have not received any official complaint regarding Roslan's allegations. "Since such complaints could be forwarded direct to Putrajaya, we wish to get confirmation from the ministry on whether it had received such complaints," Lim said. The Bagan MP said the state had received complaints from doctors and also patients on the "racial game" being played using the doctors. "Even Malay patients are disappointed that racial sentiments are being raised when they believe that they had received medical treatments that had saved their lives by ethnic Chinese doctors at government hospitals and also at private hospitals," he said. He said even Malay doctors are unhappy with this baseless allegations as they believe they too could be accused of the same wild allegations. "It is the ministry's moral and professional ethics to clear the doctors' image in this issue if there is no truth to the accusations," he said. |
| Will the PM please speak up, asks Tony Pua Posted: 14 Jul 2013 04:13 PM PDT
"Malaysians are asking, 'where is our Prime Minister?' " (The Malay Mail) Datuk Seri Najib Razak is risking his leadership in both Umno and of the country by keeping mum in the eye of a raging storm over his reform proposals, an opposition MP warned today, urging the prime minister to speak up and reclaim the public's eroding confidence.Despite leading his Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition to victory in the May 5 polls, the country's sixth prime minister appears to have ceded government control to hardliners from within his party, Petaling Jaya Utara Tony Pua (picture) said. "Malaysians are asking, 'where is our Prime Minister?'," the DAP national publicity secretary asked, and challenged Najib to rein in the hardliners from his party and prevent them from further wrecking the latter's plan to make the country the "best democracy in the world". Pua noted that Najib has been keeping silent in the face of mounting controversy over a number of his legislative reforms and additional government and economic transformation policies. He listed the Cabinet spat over an Islamic conversion law and the proposed repeal of the Sedition Act, on top of calls to reinstate preventive detention provisions in security laws as examples of a growing confidence crisis against Najib. He reminded Najib that Malaysians had granted him the mandate asked for to carry out his "transformation" agenda, but have yet to see any of the promised "radical reforms" that will take the Southeast Asian nation closer to its dream of a first-world country. Instead, recent statements issued by members of Najib's Cabinet, namely Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, point the government to be regressing rather than progressing. "We call upon Datuk Seri Najib Razak to pick up his courage and demonstrate his political will in ensuring that Malaysia remains on the path to reforms and transformation he has promised. "The problems Malaysians face today will not go away quietly if he were to remain tongue-tied. Instead he will lose not only the confidence of ordinary Malaysians, but even that of his own political party," Pua said. Political analysts whom The Malay Mail Online spoke to have also voiced similar concerns, cautioning Najib that he risks going down the same path as his predecessor Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and having his administration being labelled a "flip-flop" government. |
| Bersih and Putrajaya seek to settle case over April 28 rally, trial adjourned Posted: 14 Jul 2013 04:09 PM PDT
(The Malay Mail) - According to Senior Federal Counsel (SFC) Azizan Md Arshad, who is representing the government, the plaintiff is willing to consider Bersih 2.0's proposal to settle the case. Polls watchdog Bersih 2.0 and Putrajaya are seeking to settle a RM122,000 suit over government property damaged during the April 28 rally for electoral reforms last year.Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan (picture), the co-chairman of Bersih 2.0, told reporters today that both parties had agreed to explore the possibility of settling the matter. "The matter has been adjourned pending settlement to January...It's really to give parties a chance to explore the possibilities of settlement," Ambiga said in a brief press conference at the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex here. According to Senior Federal Counsel (SFC) Azizan Md Arshad, who is representing the government, the plaintiff is willing to consider Bersih 2.0's proposal to settle the case. "We are willing to seriously look into the proposal. We will bring up that matter to higher authority for consideration," he told reporters after lawyers from both parties met in the judge's chambers today. On May 23 last year, the federal government sued Ambiga and nine other Bersih 2.0's steering committee members under section 6(2)(g) of the Peaceful Assembly Act (PAA) 2012 for allegedly failing in their duties as the rally's organisers to ensure that it did not cause property damage. The government is seeking a declaration that Bersih had breached section 6(2)(g) of the PAA. The government is also claiming RM122,000 for repair work to 15 vehicles that mostly belonged to the police, general damages and interest. But on June 8 last year, Ambiga filed a countersuit against Putrajaya, claiming that the government had violated her constitutional rights. Among other things, she also argued that the PAA was against the Federal Constitution, pointing specifically to section 6 which she said had restricted her right to freedom of assembly. The suit is notable for being the first case where the government used the PAA against rally organisers, while Ambiga's countersuit is also the first time where the constitutionality of the PAA is being challenged in courts. Following an application last year by several Bersih 2.0 committee members to be interveners in the suit, the government's case is now against Ambiga and 14 others. The trial, initially set to start today, will now be heard before High Court judge Datuk John Louis O'Hara from January 6-10. The court has fixed September 20 as the case management date for the civil suit. |
| Politicians and Zealots Are the Main Culprits For Malaysian Education Decay Posted: 14 Jul 2013 04:09 PM PDT
Khoo Kay Peng I had spoken to a number of local CEOs on their recruitment and manpower dilemma. A local CEO told me that he would hire anyone with "a pulse" who walks into his office! A number of them lamented that they are left with the lesser qualified because the country is going through a serious brain drain issue. If the discourse of education remained the same from 10 years ago, that the best students were not selected for local universities, the Federal government should not lament over the outflow of talents overseas. If some students with cumulative grade point averages (CGPA) of 4.0 were unable to get places in universities, the Ministry of Education and the selection panel have to ponder over their roles seriously. A lack of integrity and meritocracy in the selection process is a sure bet to push the nation backward. How can we hope to compete on brain power and attract FDI on our best talents if the authorities are working to deny the best students places in our local universities? We are barely 7 years away from the grand vision and milestone of 2020. I do not think it bears any significant meaning if our dialogue on education is still stuck with the same issue? Now, the zealots in the ministry want to make the Islamic and Asian Civilisation Studies (Titas) to be a compulsory subject for local private colleges. The question is why just the Islamic studies? In a Friday report, Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said in a parliamentary written reply to Dr Ko Chung Sen (DAP-Kampar) that the move was to standardise requirements between public and private universities. He said that the move, to take effect in private tertiary institutions on Sept 1, would also include Ethnic Relations and Malaysian Studies. Yet, the ministry and Pemandu want to make Malaysia a regional education hub? What can the ministry hope to achieve by making these subjects compulsory? Again, the politicians are making the people the sacrificial lambs for their own political mischief that has been contributing to disunity, ethnoreligious conflicts and racial tensions. Why would international students want to come to Malaysia and spend their time taking so many compulsory subject which do not contribute to their cognitive skills? Why would non-Muslim students would want to do the same? |
| Cautious Business Optimism Reigns In Malaysia For Q3, Says D&B Malaysia Posted: 14 Jul 2013 03:59 PM PDT (Bernama) - However, growing signs of moderation in optimism levels were evident in the third quarter compared to the previous quarter. Despite the looming effects of a weakening external trade demand, domestic growth has maintained a vigorous pace and is poised to remain strong in the coming months, said Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) Malaysia.It said in a statement Monday that following the rush of business optimism in the last quarter, firms in Malaysia are upbeat about their businesses for the third quarter. "Domestic conditions remained favourable for firms in Malaysia for the third quarter as evident from the healthy sentiments we are seeing. However, the local economy is still largely export-driven and dependent on foreign investments. " This implies a greater vulnerability to downside risks, especially within the context of a weakening external trade demand. Our projections are likely to be cautious in the months ahead," said D&B Malaysia's Marcom and Product Manager, Eugene Zachariah, in commenting on the overall state of business optimism in Malaysia. The D&B statement also said the company's latest Business Optimism Index (BOI) study showed that all six leading indicators, namely volume of sales, net profits, selling price, inventory levels, employees and new orders, have remained in the expansionary region. However, growing signs of moderation in optimism levels were evident in the third quarter compared to the previous quarter. Optimism levels for new orders by manufacturers remained high at 37.5 percentage points, showing marginal decline by 2.5 percentage points from 40 percentage points in the second quarter. Hiring expectations for the third quarter posted lower optimism levels at 25.8 percentage points, compared to 34.6 percentage points from the second quarter. Business leaders are least optimistic about selling prices and inventory levels. Selling prices are expected to increase marginally to 2.5 percentage points, while inventory levels are likely to increase to 5 percentage points. This represents a significant decrease from 14 percentage points and 10.8 percentage points respectively for both indicators in the second quarter. From a sectoral perspective, the services and manufacturing industries have emerged as the most optimistic sectors with all leading business indicators in the expansionary region. The wholesale sector ranks third, with four business indicators in the expansionary region and one remaining unchanged, whilst the agricultural sector ranks last with only one business parameter in the expansionary region, two parameters in the contractionary region and one parameter remaining unchanged. The financial sector takes the biggest tumble to the second least optimistic sector, with only one business parameter in the expansionary region, compared to three in the previous quarter. Following Bank Negara Malaysia's stricter personal financing policies to curb lending growth under the Financial Services Act(FSA), non-banking financial institutions are reportedly expecting a lower demand for personal loans. D&B Malaysia's net optimism levels for volume of sales and net profits of the financial services posted steep declines to -28.6 percentage points and 0 percentage points respectively. Selling price and inventory levels of the financial sector have remained flat at 0 percentage points. Hiring levels have also declined from 42.9 percentage points to 14.3 percentage points. |
| September Date For Sabah Terrorism Offences Trial Posted: 14 Jul 2013 03:52 PM PDT (Bernama) - Justice P. Ravinthran said the court would sit at the General Operations Force Centre in Kinarut in view of the large number of people to be tried. The High Court here today fixed Sept 17 to 27 for the trial of 30 individuals - 27 Filipino nationals and three Malaysians - charged with various offences in relation to terrorism activities in Sabah.Justice P. Ravinthran said the court would sit at the General Operations Force Centre in Kinarut in view of the large number of people to be tried. He also said that the timeframe for the trial was sufficient considering that the prosecution would present at least 50 witnesses. Among the three Malaysians is a woman who faces life imprisonment, if convicted, for harbouring terrorists. The two Malaysian men were charged with being members of a terrorist group and with treason against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, and face the death sentence or life imprisonment upon conviction. The offences allegedly committed by the Filipino nationals include waging war against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, which is punishable with the death sentence or life imprisonment. Meanwhile, Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail told the court that the Filipino nationals had written to the office of the Chief Justice of Sabah and Sarawak to revoke the appointment of their lawyers by the Kota Kinabalu High Court. He said they had requested that their counsel be appointed by the Philippine government. Ravinthran said he would decide on the matter after reading the letter. |
| Parlimen: Tidak Boleh Keluar KWSP Untuk Bayar Hutang Kad Kredit - Ahmad Maslan Posted: 14 Jul 2013 03:45 PM PDT
"Daripada Januari hingga Mac tahun ini, 257 diisytihar bankrap akibat hutang kad kredit atau 5.5 peratus dari 4,925 orang bankrap" (Bernama) - Kerajaan tiada cadangan untuk membenarkan pengeluaran Kumpulan Wang Simpanan Pekerja (KWSP) bagi menyelesaikan kes bangkrap akibat hutang kad kredit. Timbalan Menteri Kewangan Datuk Ahmad Maslan berkata ini kerana pengeluaran wang KWSP hanya dibenarkan untuk tujuan persaraan atau untuk tujuan tambahan nilai simpanan itu.
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| Sex bloggers turn up late at MCMC investigation Posted: 14 Jul 2013 03:41 PM PDT
(The Star) - Sex bloggers Alvin Tan and Vivian Lee turned up at the Malaysia Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) office at Sultan Abdul Samad building this morning. The couple commonly known as 'Alvivi' were supposed to report at the MCMC office for investigations at 10 am but arrived only at 10.45 am. The couple did not give any comments to the press when they entered the office and were whisked away to the investigations room by the officials. Last Thursday, the duo uploaded a picture depicting them eating bak kut teh and describing it as fragrant, delicious and appetising. It was captioned as a "buka puasa" greeting. The picture also had a 'halal' logo on it. This caused an uproar among Malaysians of all races for their insensitivity and they received a warning from MCMC. They removed their posting after the furore and uploaded a new picture with them eating ketupat, rendang and curry puffs. However the Facebook page has been removed entirely. They also issued an apology yesterday in a 1:22 minute video on YouTube in which they apologised for the insensitive posting, claiming it was done in humour. Meanwhile in parliament Deputy Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Jalani Johari said the couple would be investigated by the relevant enforcement agencies under current laws over their posting. He added the laws in question covered those under the Commission's jurisdiction and that of the Penal Code and Sedition Act. However, he said that discretion to press charges against the couple was at the hands of the Attorney-General Chambers based on consideration of the evidence.
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| Posted: 14 Jul 2013 03:27 PM PDT
The Emergency Ordinance is gone and should remain that way. Syahredzan Johan, The Star Now that they agree that we have a problem, the authorities claim that this is because they can no longer rely on the Emergency Ordinance to help them fight crime. Specifically, the law is known as the Emergency (Public Order and Prevention of Crime) Ordinance 1969), as there are actually several Ordinances promulgated under three declarations of Emergency. But for ease of reference, we shall refer to this particular Emergency Ordinance as the "EO". Flashback – on the eve of Malaysia Day, 2011, the Prime Minister announced several democratic reforms, one of which was to table a motion in Parliament to end three declarations of Emergency. True to his word, the motion was tabled in the Dewan Rakyat and passed on Nov 24, 2011. On Dec 20, 2011, the Dewan Negara similarly passed the motion. With that the Emergency ended and set in motion the constitutional provision to also end, within a period of six months, all laws passed under the powers given to the Government to enact emergency-related legislation. The six months period expired on June 19, 2012, ending the operation of the EO once and for all. Purportedly, this is the reason why the crime rate has increased. The authorities, it is claimed, no longer have this powerful arsenal to combat crime. They are "handicapped"; that is why the criminals have the upper hand. The solution? Bring back "EO-type legislation". First of all, it is simply not possible to bring back such laws. The EO was promulgated under a declaration of Emergency, which allowed the Government extraordinary powers to deal with threats to public order. You cannot bring back the EO because there is no longer a standing declaration of Emergency. The EO was promulgated in 1969. Its preamble stated the existence of a grave emergency threatening the security of the country, in reference to the race riots of that year. It also made reference to the fact that when it was promulgated, Parliament was dissolved and that immediate action was required to secure public order, suppress violence and to prevent crime. Most tellingly, it was promulgated on May 16, 1969, three days after the race riots of May 13. Clearly, the EO was intended to deal with the aftermath of the race riots. But the authorities have used the EO to arrest individuals and detain them without trial and without charging them in Court. The EO has been abused and to suggest that it be resurrected is to allow for it to be abused again. For the EO is a powerful tool in the hands of the Government. Under the EO, the Inspector-General of Police may detain a person up to 60 days. Thereafter, the Home Minister may issue a Detention Order to detain the person without trial for two years, renewable for a further two years indefinitely. Or if he may issue a Restriction Order to restrict the person to a particular area for two years. These powers cannot be challenged in Court, except if there is a procedural non-compliance. Detention without trial takes away a person's liberty without allowing him to meet his or her charge in Court. Some have argued that preventive detention is necessary, but even those arguments are limited to terrorism. Detention without trial in order to combat crime is disproportionate and unreasonable. In fact, there is already an option to detain a person for purposes of investigations before a charge is laid. Under the Criminal Procedure Code, the police habitually ask for a remand order to detain a person. Depending on the crime, the court may order a person to be detained for up to 14 days. Why do you need to detain him up to 60 days to two years? Crime has been on the rise for the past few years. In fact, it was just over a year ago on June 10, 2012 that the then Home Minister insisted that the crime rate was down and that high crime was just a "perception". Three years before, the Government promised to tackle street crime and focus on hotspots throughout the country. All this was before the EO became inoperative on June 19, 2012. The crime rate has been a problem for years, not just in the past one year. It is ridiculous to suggest a causal link between the EO and the crime rate. Especially when we look at who the EO detainees were. The detention centre in Simpang Renggam was not filled hardcore criminals and kingpins. I have represented youths detained under the EO. What were their alleged wrongdoings? Stealing motorbikes. I have also represented a minor who was detained under the EO and restricted far from his parents. Forget not also the EO Six – six activists from Parti Sosialis Malaysia, including the re-elected Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj, Member of Parliament for Sungai Siput. They were released after a month and not charged with any crime. So what was it about using the EO to combat crime, again?
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| Posted: 14 Jul 2013 03:24 PM PDT
That is how PAS view their chances in the coming Kuala Besut by-election. The seat fell vacant following the death of Barisan's Dr A. Rahman Mokhtar. Philip Golingai, The Star IF you were a tourist heading to Pulau Perhentian, you would not sense that there was a by-election that could "hang" the Tereng-ganu legislative assembly. There was no flag war in the Kuala Besut by-election. The only Barisan Nasional and PAS flags I saw the day after nomination on Friday were on the bridge leading to the Kuala Besut town, the gateway to Pulau Perhentian. It was a subdued affair on nomination day. The Umno and PAS supporters were about 200m apart. I was with the PAS supporters, mostly decked in green. The only excitement for me was to see a fashionably late PAS Mursyidul Am (spiritual leader) Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat arriving at the nomination centre in a Mercedes Benz. Later in Kuala Besut town, I stumbled into an opposition leader. "How's PAS' chance in this by-election?" I asked. "It is an uphill battle," he said. "PAS needs a miracle to win." The odds are for 37-year-old engineer Tengku Zaihan Che Ku Abd Rahman of Umno to defeat 48-year-old businessman Azlan Yusof of PAS. In the May 5 general election, Barisan won the seat with a majority of 2,342 votes against PAS. Few weeks after GE13, it was unlikely that the majority of voters would have a change of heart and vote for the Opposition. The seat became vacant following the death of Umno's Dr A. Rahman Mokhtar on June 26. His death has kept alive PAS' dream of recapturing Terengganu that it won in 1999. That night to gauge the support for PAS, I attended a ceramah in Kampung Pusu Tinggi, about 10km from Kuala Besut town. About 150 people, mostly men wearing white skullcaps, gathered to listen to PAS' top guns – Kuala Krai MP Dr Hatta Ramli and vice-president Datuk Husam Musa – speak. "It has been two months and seven days since GE13," a PAS Besut leader in Terengganu lingo told the crowd. "In Besut (MP seat), it was Barisan 4 and PAS 0. It was Barisan 17 and Pakatan 15. Now it is Barisan 16 and Pakatan 15. You can make it 16 16." I was seated at a warung, sharing the same table with three die-hard PAS members who drove 45 minutes from Machang in Kelantan to listen to the ceramah. "Perhaps PAS can win. But it won't be easy," one of the Kelantanese told me. "Why was it four zero in Besut?" I asked. He called a PAS leader from Kuala Besut to explain. "From the eight voting streams in Kuala Besut, PAS only won two. We lost the votes from people living along the coastline and on the island (Perhentian). Those who live along the coastline are fishermen who rely on government subsidies," said the Kuala Besut local. "Those living inland voted for PAS. They are mostly farmers (who receive occasional subsidies)." In unison, the three Kelantanese nodded their heads. It was Dr Hatta's turn to speak. "Kuala Besut should not be a hollow creek – which means a quiet place," he said. "Kuala Besut should be known all over the country as the one seat that changed the Terengganu government. But if Barisan wins, nobody will talk about Kuala Besut. You can create history." Next was Husam who spoke in local lingo. If you were from Kuala Lumpur, you would need to be a bit clever to understand what he said. He mentioned "Deris" several times. I wondered what "Deris" was. Later I put two and two together. "Deris" + "MB" = Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh (the former Terengganu Mentri Besar). "Barisan relies on peteh. Peteh this and peteh that. But when the people don't rely on peteh like in Subang Jaya, the opposition wins," said Husam, in a dialect that I assumed was Kelantanese. I thought he was talking about "peti undi" (ballot box). But it was not logical that the Opposition didn't rely on the ballot box and therefore won the Subang Jaya state seat. Finally, I figured that "peteh" meant money. Later I was told that it was a word used by the people of Terengganu. Husam played the batu api (instigator). "Besut used to have a local as MB. But since Datuk Seri Ahmad Said became MB, the people of Besut are treated like stepchildren," he said. In a twisted logic, Husam said a vote for PAS was a vote for Deris. After the ceramah, journalists chatted with Dr Hatta. "Terengganu is a petroleum state. It is the Kuwait of Malaysia but if you look around it is a third world state," he said. "But can PAS win this by-election?" I asked. "We have a 45% chance of winning. We're hoping it will increase on polling day," he said.
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| Sabah RCI: Illegal immigrants had guns and ammo, says former Sabah CM Posted: 14 Jul 2013 03:08 PM PDT
Lee Shi-Ian, TMI Crime rate dropped drastically in early 2000 when the state government went on the offensive to demolish illegal squatter colonies and deported them, the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on illegal immigrants in Sabah was told today. Former Sabah Chief Minister Tan Sri Chong Kah Kiat, who helmed the state from 2001 to 2003, said the problem of illegal immigrants was a well-known problem even before he took office and made it his priority to deport illegal immigrants, including those who had been issued identity cards illegally. Getting rid of the squatter settlements in Tawau, Sandakan, Kota Kinabalu and Pulau Gaya was one of his notable achievements while in office, said Chong, the 172nd witness testifying before the five-men RCI panel led by former Sabah and Sarawak Chief Justice Tan Sri Steve Shim Lip Kiong. "When the authorities moved in to clear the settlements, we discovered a lot ammunition and weapons. "Smuggling of firearms, ammunition and drug activities were among the crimes most commonly associated with these squatter settlements. Most of the firearms were smuggled in through the Philippines," he told the inquiry. The Sabah state government had received cooperation from The Philippines and Indonesian governments in the deportation exercise. Chong said action had also been taken against immigrants who had Malaysian identity cards, saying some could not even speak the local languages in Sabah and did not protest when their cards were revoked. "There were no protests when their identity cards were revoked and they were deported. This was because they knew the identity documents were obtained illegally." The former chief minister did not disclose the number of immigrants whose identity cards were revoked but said the the number was "a lot".
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| Pakatan sues EC leaders over indelible ink to nullify GE result Posted: 14 Jul 2013 02:45 PM PDT
File photo of a voter showing the 'indelible ink' on her finger after casting her ballot in the May general election. (The Malay Mail) - PKR's Subang MP R. Sivarasa told reporters today that PR also wants the court to order the seven EC commissioners to personally finance the cost of the new general election if it is called. Pakatan Rakyat (PR) filed a civil suit against Election Commission (EC) commissioners in the High Court here today over the failure of the indelible ink in a bid to annul the result of Election 2013.PKR's Subang MP R. Sivarasa told reporters today that PR also wants the court to order the seven EC commissioners — including chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof and deputy chairman Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar — to personally finance the cost of the new general election if it is called. "If the court agrees with us, then the logical conclusion is that the results will be declared void," said Sivarasa at a press conference in Parliament here. "We want a declaration that the EC failed to do their duty and they maliciously practised fraud on the indelible ink used in GE13," added the PKR political bureau member, referring to the 13th general election. Sivarasa also said that the court should order the removal of the present EC commissioners. EC commissioners Abdul Aziz, Wan Ahmad, Datuk Mohamad Ramji Ali, Datuk Dr P. Manogran, Datuk Christopher Wan Soo Kee, Datuk Md Yusop Mansor and Abdul Aziz Khalidin were named as defendants. PR noted that it had lost about 30 federal seats with less than 10 per cent of the votes. "Therefore, even if a small percentage of dishonest voters were able to wrongfully vote more than once because of the deliberate failure of the EC to implement indelible ink, they were sufficient to affect the results in a significant number of seats," the pact said in its statement of claim. Barisan Nasional (BN) maintained its grip on power in the May 5 polls by winning 133 federal seats to PR's 89, 21 seats more than the required 112 seats to form a simple majority. The plaintiffs are the three PR parties — PAS, the DAP and PKR — as well as PR candidates in the May 5 polls who had lost with narrow margins, namely Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, M. Manogaran, Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, and two voters named Arifin Abd Rahman and Abbo Rajoo. PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar, who was also at the press conference, accused the EC of being partial towards Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak. In the statement of claim, PR noted that Abdul Aziz had announced on December 19, 2011 that the indelible ink — which is meant to prevent double voting — would have four to seven per cent silver nitrate and would last for seven days. But on May 4, 2013, Abdul Aziz said that the indelible ink contained just one per cent silver nitrate, according to the statement of claim. "The EC dishonestly, maliciously and wilfully decided to reduce the level of silver nitrate in the indelible ink to enable it to be easily washed off so that dishonest voters could vote more than twice," said PR in the statement of claim. The indelible ink was introduced in Election 2013 as one of the main safeguards against electoral fraud, but the scandal surrounding its easy removal transformed it into a symbol of the widespread electoral fraud that PR alleged was perpetrated to keep BN in power. In the May 5 general election, voters flooded social media services with images and videos showing the easy removal of the semi-permanent ink with common household detergents and, in some cases, nothing more than water and some elbow grease. Wan Ahmad had sought to explain the ink's failure to stay for its promised seven days by saying the level of silver nitrate — needed to give the ink its permanence — had been kept at just one per cent following the Health Ministry's recommendations and to meet halal requirements for Muslims. The matter sank deeper into controversy when Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim appeared to communicate that even the one per cent of silver nitrate had been absent, when he told the Dewan Rakyat that there were "no chemicals" in the ink. The minister also said in a written reply to Segambut DAP MP Lim Lip Eng that a test conducted on EC officials and media personnel on May 2 "proved" that the ink was effective. But Wan Ahmad later contradicted Shahidan and said that the ink did contain one per cent silver nitrate, and that it was likely classified as a metal, instead of a chemical. Wan Ahmad said that food colouring was used to turn the indelible ink red for early voters and dark blue for ordinary voters. Abdul Aziz too had finally admitted that the indelible ink was a "failure", expressing disappointment with widespread reports of the ink being washed off easily with as little as soap and water in the 13th general election. |
| EC cleaning up electoral rolls, says it will issue regular reports Posted: 14 Jul 2013 02:34 PM PDT
(MI) - Some 13.3 million people are registered to vote in Malaysia, which has a 29.3 million population. Stung by repeated criticisms over tainted electoral rolls, the Election Commission (EC) has formed an internal committee to clean up the voter lists with the first report to be released later this month.EC deputy chairman Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar (pic) said the committee began work after the May 5 general elections and would ensure the rolls for the next elections would be reliable and free from controversy. "It is the EC's main priority to review the electoral rolls which has been said to be problematic by certain quarters. "EC officials from all states are working together to clean up the electoral rolls and the committee will issue a report this month and from time to time," Wan Ahmad told The Malaysian Insider in Kuala Lumpur. Electoral watchdog Bersih 2.0 and other civil groups have been asking for the rolls to be cleaned up since Election 2008, after allegations surfaced of phantom voters and foreigners in the lists based on identity cards issued by the National Registration Department. Some 13.3 million people are registered to vote in Malaysia, which has a 29.3 million population. Bersih 2.0 co-chairman Datuk S.Ambiga told a forum last Saturday that she did not rule out another rally to protest the electoral rolls if the EC failed to clean it up before conducting a parliamentary seat redelineation exercise this year. Read more at : http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/article/ec-says-cleaning-up-electoral-rolls-will-issue-regular-reports/ |
| In the Malay Press: PAS controls Kuala Besut candidate's statements Posted: 14 Jul 2013 02:05 PM PDT
(fz.com) - "He has quite a strong Kelantanese dialect. People may misunderstood his words ...". PAS has decided not to allow its Kuala Besut by-election candidate Endot@Azlan Yusof to make any spontaneous statement to the media.Its Kuala Besut by-election campaign manager Hanafiah Mat said he will make the statements on behalf of Endot, reported the Malay newspapers today. "We are taking this approach to avoid from Endot's statements being manipulated by others," he was quoted saying by Sinar Harian. "In certain circumstances, the candidate will still be making statements. It is just that we do not want his statement to be manipulated or misunderstood," he added. According to Utusan Malaysia, PAS will only allow Endot to make statements once he has won the by-election. "We are not trying to control him. We only want to guide him as to how to face the media and all their whims. This is what PAS has been facing since almost 60 years back," Hanafiah was quoted saying. He cited an incident on Saturday when Endot's statement was misinterpreted by the media, creating a stir when it was uploaded on social websites including YouTube, citing him saying he would have to concentrate on his business in Kelantan and was willing to hire another person to take over his responsibility in handling the rakyat should he win the by-election. Read more at: http://www.fz.com/content/malay-press-pas-controls-kuala-besut-candidates-statements |
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